Community Colleges Work for TEXAS

Transcription

1 W C J C Wharton County Junior College Community Colleges Work for TEXAS Community colleges are one of the state s most valuable resources during tough economic times. We educate, train, and help to put people into the workforce in a short period of time, which in turn helps to improve our economy. Betty A. McCrohan President Wharton County Junior College

2 Wharton County Junior College Students share their concerns about how increases in tuition will impact them... An increase in tuition would hurt me because I travel to all three campuses and gas is already expensive. The increase would mean having to cut back on the amount of hours I would normally take, as well as, cause me to increase hours at my job to cover the increase in tuition. It would take longer for me to reach my goals. Ryan L. Marietta Needville, Texas My parents pay for my college with no help from financial aid. My dad, my brother and I are all going to college right now and if tuition was raised it would put a strain on their wallets, in an already difficult time. On top of that, gas prices are going up and it is a 30 minute drive from Bay City to Wharton. We would manage somehow but it would be much more difficult and anything that is not a necessity would be cut out of our budget. Miranda Slaton Bay City From what I have heard, there will be a budget cut from the state. Because of this action, it will force the college to raise tuition for its students. Since most of the students that attend college usually pay for it themselves many students that are attending will have to drop or postpone attending because they can t afford to pay the cost. Others will have to cut the hours that they take per semester which will extend the length of time necessary to complete their degree Frank W. Cisneros, II Eagle Lake Any increase in tuition would greatly affect my ability to attend college. I am on financial aid, but I am only allowed to receive so much. My parents don t make much, so I am having to find ways to support myself. I am currently working for the college, but I can make only so much and part of this is being used for gas and food, not just for me. Living out-of- district for all campuses, I have to pay the out-of-district fees which is very expensive. A $17 per hour increase on tuition ($204 a semester for a full-time student) doesn t seem like much, but for someone who is working only two days out of the week and driving 30 minutes to school and 30 minutes back home, it is very expensive. I am one of these people. I ve applied for other jobs but no one is hiring and if they are hiring they are not hiring someone with little work experience. I also live at home, but my parents don t pay for my college, I do. If the tuition is raised, I might not be able to go to college even with financial aid. Elyssa King Wallis, Texas

3 Fall Headcount Student Ethnicity 51% White 3% Other Tax Appraisals Tuition up 13% (6,115) (6,622) (6,922) % Hispanic 7% Asian 11% Black Hispanic students +72% since Fall 2001 $3,410,074,729 $3,492,072,168 $3,531,888, Out-of-District rose 20% ($100 per credit hour to $120 per credit hour) In-District rose 37% ($54 per credit hour to $74 per credit hour) Tuition rose In-District 37% ($54 to $74) Out-of-District 20% ($100 to $120) the last five years Out-of-District Tuition Rate Comparisons (12-semester hours) Alvin Community College... $1,163 Brazosport College...$969 College of the Mainland...$863 Galveston College...$653 Houston Community College... $1,417 Lee College...$987 Lone Star College System... $1,500 San Jacinto College...$891 Wharton County Junior College... $1,440 Wharton County Junior College Campus Snapshot 6,622 Credit Students 33 Programs of Study Tax rate $ cent/$100 valuation Serves 6 counties, taxes Wharton County and Needville ISD 17 ISDs in service area Located 60 miles outside Houston 34% of students on financial aid Student loans at WCJC increased 31% this fall Service Area Industries STP Nuclear Operating Company Frito-Lay, Inc. ConocoPhillips Sweeny Refinery Memorial Hospital Systems Fugro, Inc. Reliant Energy WCJC Employees Institutional FT PT Grant... 9 FT PT Partially paid with grants...8 PT Current Retirees Service Area Counties/Unemployment Rates December 2010 Wharton % Fort Bend % Matagorda % Colorado % Jackson % Austin % New Programs Respond to Economic Need Nuclear Power Technology Construction Management Expansion of Welding Technology Expansion of Nursing Addition of Electrical Curriculum to Heating, Air Conditioning and Refrigeration Fiscal Strength Net Assets... $43,610,058 Total Net Assets of WCJC - includes investment in plant, endowment, etc.. % of change in the last three years... 8% True Reserves...$5,207,947 Viability ratio Long-Term Debt...$5,655,000

4 State Unfunded Mandates Impact on WCJC FY 10 Three-Peat Rule Unfunded Contact Hours...$114,433 Hazelwood Act-Veteran Program... $55,350 Foster Care Students... $38,126 Children of Disabled/Deceased Police/Fire Fighters... $374 Children of Professional Nursing Education Programs... $666 Perceptors of Professional Nursing Education Programs...$1,000 Texas Public Education Grant...$276,741 Installment Payment Plan Write-Off of Bad Debt... $200,000 Total... $686,690 HB 1 Impact on Wharton County Junior College Formula Funding... -$1,352,316 Growth Funding... -$3,384,937 Group Health Insurance...-$2,980,894 Employee retirement match... -$821,176 Direct Impact...-$8,539,323 Other State Funds Cut/Reduced Tx College Workstudy...$14,802 TEA (Adult Basic Skills, CIS)...$65,119 Identified Direct Impact... - $79,921 Rural and Suburban Settings Make Our Challenges and Potential Options Different Rural challenges: Maintain small class size Availability of technology Distance for students to travel to campuses Finding both qualified full-time and part-time faculty Suburban challenges: Providing services for enrollment demand Small tax base for large service area Bottom Line: Student success will suffer greatly, we will have more limited impact on regional economic development, and the institution will become fiscally weaker. The proportionality approach will eventually be unsustainable. Graduation Rate (4-yr. average)... 20% Transfer Rate (4-yr. average)... 40% Resulting Decisions (some or all of the following) Eight potential changes in the way the college does business. 1) Going to on-line schedules 2) Implementing student 3) Increasing class sizes 4) Increasing ratio of part-time faculty 5) Increasing in number of on-line classes 6) Offering weekend classes 7) Maximizing use of facilities

5 Wharton County Junior College Economic Impact Overview Fact Sheet Wharton County Junior College plays a significant role in the local economy and is a sound investment from multiple perspectives. Students benefit from improved lifestyles and increased earnings. Taxpayers benefit from a larger economy and lower social costs. Finally, the community as a whole benefits from increased job and investment opportunities, higher business revenues, greater availability of public funds, and an eased tax burden. WCJC Helps State & Local Economy The WCJC Service Region economy received roughly $19.3 million in income due to WCJC operations and capital spending in FY In , the service area workforce embodied 873,900 credits of past and present WCJC training. WCJC activities encourage new business, assist existing business, and create long-term economic growth. The college enhances worker skills and provides customized training to local business and industry. It is estimated that in FY the WCJC Service Region workforce embodied about 873,900 credits of past and present WCJC training. WCJC skills translate to higher earnings for students and increased output of businesses. The added income attributable to the accumulation of WCJC credits in the workforce amounted to $269.0 million in FY WCJC Leverages Taxpayer Dollars The state and local community will see avoided social costs amounting to $20 per year for every credit earned by WCJC students, including savings associated with improved health, lower crime costs, and reduced welfare and unemployment. This translates to $2.6 million in avoided costs to the State of Texas each year as long as students are in the workforce. Students benefit from higher earnings, thereby expanding the tax base and reducing the burden on state and local taxpayers. In the aggregate, WCJC students generate about $20.0 million annually in higher earnings due to their WCJC education. WCJC yields a return on government investment. State and local government allocated around $18.4 million in support of WCJC in FY For every $1 of this support, taxpayers see a cumulative return of $2.90 over the course of students working careers (in the form of higher tax receipts and avoided social costs). State and local government see a rate of return of 11% on their support for WCJC. This return compares very favorably with private sector rates of return on similar long-term investments. WCJC Helps Students Earn More A total of 10,118 credit and non-credit students attended the college in FY About 60% of these students stay in the service area initially after they leave college, contributing to the local economy. Students see their annual income increase by $158 per year for every credit completed at WCJC. Education increases lifetime income. The average annual income of a one-year certificate graduate at the midpoint of his or her career is $28,400, or 82% more than someone without a high school diploma, and 16% more than a student with a high school diploma. The average income at the career midpoint of someone with an associate s degree is $33,600, or 115% more than someone without a high school diploma, and 38% more than a student with a high school diploma. WCJC students enjoy an average annual income increase of $158 for every credit completed. Throughout his or her working career, the average WCJC student s discounted lifetime income (i.e., future values expressed in present value terms) increases by $6.70 for every $1 invested (tuition, fees, books, and wages given up to attend). Students enjoy an attractive 18% rate of return on their WCJC educational investment, recovering all costs (including wages foregone) in 9 years. Information Source: The Economic Contribution of Wharton County Junior College prepared by Economic Modeling Services, Inc.

6 W C J C Wharton County Junior College Wharton Sugar Land Richmond Bay City Palacios El Campo COMMUNITY COLLEGES WORK FOR TEXAS Spring 2011 For more information, call or write to: Wharton County Junior College Office of the President 911 Boling Highway Wharton, Texas WCJC wcjc.edu